Pneumatic stacker.



PNEUMATIG STAGKEB. APPLIoATmN FILED nume, 1909.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

` gnvantoz I pff/wz.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MILLER,l OI MIN'IO, NORTH DAKOTA.

PNEUIVIA'IIC STACKER.

Specification of Letters Iatent.

Patented Nov. 30, 1909.

Application filed January 16, 1909. Serial No. 472,691.

This invention relates to pneumatic strawl stackers of that type whereinthe straw is supplied to the stacking mechanism by an endless carrier,both the blast-producing means and the carrier being driven by the l afan blade 11. It will be noted that the Vlower edges of these blades arestraight,

same mechanism.

Heretofore in devices of this characterl considerable damage has oftenresulted through the inadvertent stopping of the driving mechanism andthe consequent stopping of the fan, this causing the machineto becomechoked with straw.

The object of the present invention is to provide simple and eflicientmeans whereby the operation of the fan may be caused to continue shouldthe driving mechanism be retarced or completely stopped for a shortperio A further object is to so mount the shaft of the fan and the partscarried thereby as to reduce vibration to the minimum and increase theeiiiciency of the machine.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists of certainnovel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter morefully described and pointed out inthe claims.

In the accompanying drawings the preferred form of the invention hasbeen shown.

In said drawingsz-Figure 1 is a view, partly in section and partly inside elevation, of a pneumatic stacker embodying the presentimprovements, only that portion of the stacker adjacent the fan and theadjoining mechanism being illustrated. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View ofthe fan shaft and the mechanism thereon, the driving belt being removed.Fig. 3 is a plan view of the middle portion of the fan.

Referring to the figures by characters of reference 1 designates aportion of the frame of the pneumatic stacker, said frame carrying a fancasing 2, communicating with a pipe L3, such as ordinarily employed indevices of this character. One face of the casing 2 has an inlet 4, towhich straw is designed to be supplied by means of a suitable carrier,(not shown) and projecting into the middle portion of the casing is ashaft 5 journaled, at points between its ends, within bearings G and 7carried by the frame 1 and by a bracket 8 respectively. Said bracket issecured to the frame 1 and cooperates with the said frame, to preventthe shaft 5y from vibrating while rotating at a high speed.

Secured to that end of shaft 5 within the casing 2 is a hub 9 from whichradiates arms 10 each of which is slotted longitudinally to receive thereduced inner end portion of whereas the upper edges thereof are curvedinwardly toward the arms 10. When the fan thus constructed is mounted inthe casing 2 the reduced inner portions of the blade 11 are disposedbelow the inlet opening 4, thus forming a receiving space 12, to whichthe straw is fed, and from which it is directed by the blades into thepipe 3.

Secured to the shaft 5 at a point between the frame 1 and the bracket 8is a iy-wheel 13 which may be of any preferred construction and which`is sufficiently heavy to cause the fan to rotate for a considerableperiod after the driving mechanism hereinafter described has stopped,through the momentum imparted to the wheel.

Secured to the shaft 5 adjacent its lower end are spaced ratchets 14,and loosely mounted on the shaft between these ratchets is a pulley 15the rim of which extends around each of the ratchets. Spring-controlledpawls 16 are pivotally mounted upon each side of the pulley as shown inFig'. 2, and these pawls normally engage the ratchets 14, the teeth ofthe ratchets and the pawls being so disposed with relation to each otherthat when the pulley is rotated in one direction motion will betransmitted therefrom through the pawls and ratchets to the shaft 5,but, should the rotation of the pulley be retarded or completely stoppedsaid shaft 5 will be free to continue to rotate as before.v When thepulley is viewed as in Fig. 1, the rim thereof conceals the pawlssurrounded thereby and also conceals portions of the ratchets.

The pulley 15 is designed to be driven by a belt 17 receiving motionfrom the mechanism utilized for actuating the straw carrier. Thismechanism however constitutes no part of the present invention, and hasnot therefore been illustrated.

-If desired, and as shown in the drawings, a tightener may be used inconnection with the belt, the same consisting of a pulley 18, carried bya lever 19, which is pivotally mounted on the bracket 8 and is designedto be locked in any desired position by means of a toothed strip 19',mounted on the bracket 8.

lf preferred, yand as shown in Fig. 2, that portion of the bracket 8 onwhich the shaftl 5 bears, may be reinforced by an auxiliary bracket 20,one end portion of which is forked and straddles the bearing 7, whilethe other end thereof is attached to the frame l.

It is thought that the operation of the mechanism herein described willbe fully understood from the foregoing description when read inconnection with the accompanying drawings.

The pulley 15 is rotated normally in such a direction as to cause motionto be transmitted therefrom through the pawls and ratchet to the shaft 5and the parts mounted thereon. Straw is fed to the casing 2 through theopening 4L, and the fan blades 11 force it through the pipe 3 in theordinary manner. It is of course understood that these blades rotatevery rapidly and that the iiy-wheel 13 moves therewith. Should thedriving mechanism be stopped or its speed slackened from any cause, as,for example, choking of the carrier, the

fly-wheel 13 will continue to revolve, and the fan-blades 11 will thuscontinue to drive thc straw from the inlet 1 and into and through thepipe 3. Choking of the pipe and consequent injury to the fan is thusprevented It is of course to be understood that various changes may bemade in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departingfrom the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of the invention.

lhat is claimed is In a pneumatic stacker, a casing having an inlet andan outlet, said inlet being disposed adjacent the center of one face ofthe casing, a bracket below the casing, a shaft journaled within thebracket and casing, fan blades radiating from the shaft within thecasing, a y wheel secured to the shaft and between the casing andbracket, a pulley loosely mounted upon the shaft below the bracket,ratchet wheels secured to the shaft adjacent opposite sides of thepulley, pawls carried by the pulley and engaging the ratchets to rotatethe shaft in one direction with the pulley.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

PETER MILLER.

lVitnesses H. C. DE PUY, M. FEDJE.

